Coldest night after temperature dipped to minus 6.6 in Srinagar

Srinagar, Feb 2 (UNI) Coldest night after temperature dipped to minus 6.6 degree, coupled with intermittent power failure and water shortage has affected life in the Kashmir valley.

People at Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, Kargil, Leh, Kupwara and Pahalgam, base camp of holy Amarnth cave continued to shiver because of below freezing temperatures.

Water taps were frozen this morning after the temperature dipped to minus 6.6 degree, coldest in the month of February so far.

People were seen trying to defreeze the frozen tapes in many areas, facing acute water shortage.

A UNI correspondent who visited famed Dal Lake this morning saw parts of the water body frozen near banks. Because of cold weather during the day also, the frozen parts remained freezed.

Reports received from different areas said a number of water bodies, including nullahs were also frozen because of the coldest night.

The water level in the river Jehlum and its tributaries had also decreased as snow on the upper reaches, which was source of these water bodies, had freezed. The low water level had again affected power generation in local hydel projects.

People at several places took to streets in protest against power failure. Intermittent power failure was also reported from metered areas also. However, the Jammu and Kashmir government was importing electricity from different states to partially meet the requirement.

However, experts said freezing of snow on heights now would help to overcome the water problem during summer.

Life in Drass, Kargil, Leh, Pahalgam and Kupwara remained affected due to continued severe cold after the temperature dipped to minus 15 to minus 25.